Prognostic Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated With Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab Combination Therapy

Background: Despite the significant progress in prevention and therapy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still one of the most prevalent and lethal human cancers worldwide.Purpose: Recently, the combination of atezolizumab (an immune checkpoint inhibitor, anti-programmed death ligand 1 antibody) and bevacizumab (an antiangiogenic agent, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody) has emerged as a new and effective first-line systemic therapy in the treatment of patients with unresectable HCC. However, the development of prognostic biomarkers for the early identification and timely intervention of HCC patients with poor prognosis after atezolizumab plus bevacizumab combination therapy remains a key goal to achieve better patient survival.Research Design: This review provides a comprehensive summary of the evidence in the literature validating a single or a combination of biomarker(s) in various sampling sources at diverse time points with prognostic value in predicting the outcomes of HCC patients receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab combination therapy. A plethora of promising prognostic biomarkers is identified here, and further studies to implement these biomarkers in clinical practices are urgently needed.